I was three months pregnant when my husband, Shane Palmer, tricked me into a fake divorce—only to turn around and marry his adopted sister.

That so-called sister, Kelly Palmer, had gender identity disorder. She couldn't even tell what gender she was and constantly threw herself at Shane, blurring every boundary.

But when I confronted him about it, he gave me a look full of annoyance.

"She's just sick, okay? She thinks she's a man. Why are you making a scene about this?"

"Besides, she's my sister. What could possibly be going on between me and her? Can't you just return to being the sweet you used to be?"

For Kelly's sake, Shane kept letting her hurt me—over and over again. Eventually, I felt nothing but emptiness. I signed up for a ten-year classified research mission. I made sure to leave on the day of his wedding.

It wasn't until years later that I heard—Shane had spent an entire decade looking for me.

***

"Lucia, we really are so sorry."

The signed divorce papers were already on the coffee table. Shane's mother, Vivianne Clark, sat across from me, her tone full of helplessness—but I didn't miss the cold satisfaction and disdain in her eyes.

"Kelly may have been adopted, but we've treated her like our own daughter all these years.

"Now that she's sick and insisting she wants to be with Shane, there's really nothing we can do."

I looked at Shane, who was sitting silently to the side. When our eyes met, a flicker of guilt flashed across his face.

"Lucia," he said, "the doctor said her condition is very sensitive to emotional stress. This is the only way I can keep her stable for now.

"But it's only temporary. A few months, tops. Once she's stabilized, we'll get remarried."

He looked at me with that same calm, sincere expression. "Kelly means a lot to us, Lucia. I know you understand."

"Exactly!" Vivianne chimed in, picking up where he left off. "Lucia, you've been part of this family for years—you know what Kelly's like. Just sign the papers. It's not going to hurt you.

"And after the divorce, we'll make it up to you. It's actually a good thing! You'll have some time for yourself and can go on a little trip.

"Who knows? Maybe by the time you're back, Kelly will be cured!"

My fingers were trembling. I had a thousand things to say, but none of them made it past my throat.

Everyone in New York's high society knew me as an obedient girl. My family arranged everything, from what I ate and wore as a child to my grades, school conduct, and even my career as an adult.

Shane was the one choice I made for myself. I went against my parents to be with him. He was polite, gentle, refined—the best man I'd ever met. I married him without hesitation. And after we were married, he kept every promise he made to me.

Except when it came to Vivianne and Kelly. They couldn't stand me. Kelly had targeted me more than once. She said she'd loved Shane for years, that I was just some homewrecker who stole her man. Vivianne wasn't subtle either—she'd always hinted that Kelly was the woman she actually wanted as Shane's wife.

Three days ago, Kelly threatened me. She said she'd take Shane away for good. And now? Suddenly, she's diagnosed with gender identity disorder. She didn't waste any time.

I took a deep breath and looked Shane straight in the eyes. "You're really sure Kelly has gender identity disorder? And this is the only way to deal with it—by divorcing me?"

He looked a little irritated. "That's what the doctor said, Lucia. What? You don't trust a professional diagnosis now?

"Why would Kelly lie to you about this anyway?"

"Exactly, Lucia! That's so out of line! How can you say something like that about Kelly?" Vivianne added as she disagreed.

"Enough already. Just sign it."

My fists clenched. My eyes were burning, and my hand instinctively covered my stomach. There's a baby in there—almost three months along. I had come home planning to surprise Shane with the news. Instead, I got served divorce papers.

Before I married Shane, my mom looked at me with a complicated expression and said, "He's not the right match. That family's not where you belong." I didn't listen. Now I realize—I should have.

I picked up the pen and signed. The second I finished, Vivianne snatched the papers away like she'd been waiting all day. "Great! Now Kelly can finally stop worrying."

She looked at me with what might've actually been a real smile. "Lucia, I'm glad you understand where we're coming from. You've always been such a good girl, so sensible. We've all seen it.

"Don't worry. Once Kelly's better, you'll come back. We'll be a family again."

Even Shane held my hand tightly, his eyes filled with guilt and something that looked like love. "Lucia, I'll make it up to you. I'll love you even more from now on."

I forced a smile as the dull ache in my chest slowly turned into cold numbness that spread through every part of me.

I made up an excuse to leave. The tears I'd held back came pouring out as soon as I stepped outside. My phone buzzed. I glanced at it—there was a new message from my professor.

"Lucia, I really hope you'll come to Los Angeles for the classified research project.

"You're my best student and one of the main initiators. This project needs you."

Through my blurry vision, I typed out a reply, word by word.

"Professor, I'll go to Los Angeles. I'll leave with the team in two days."

After I hit send, it felt like every ounce of strength left my body. I collapsed onto the ground. This is the price I paid for not being obedient—for marrying Shane. But it's not too late to start over.

As for Shane, there's no future for us anymore.

After the medication-induced abortion, I stumbled out of the hospital, clutching my aching stomach. I headed to a nearby cafe to recover a bit, only to run into the one person I least wanted to see—Kelly.

"Hey, Lucia," she grinned smugly as she spotted me. "I heard that you signed the divorce papers."

"Haha, didn't I tell you? You'd have to give Shane back to me sooner or later!"

I stared coldly at her. "You faked your gender identity disorder, didn't you? Just to force us to divorce?"

Kelly gave a casual shrug. "Yeah, I faked it.

"I've been in love with Shane ever since he brought me home from the orphanage. Every girlfriend he had before, I drove them away. But you were the only one he wouldn't let go of. This was the only way."

Her face twisted into something sinister as she stood, looming over me. "Lucia, you're the famously obedient girl of the high society. Shane was crazy in love with you. But what if you weren't the obedient little doll everyone thought you were? What do you think people would say then?"

With a cryptic smile, she turned and walked out of the cafe.

I fought down the rising sense of unease and returned to the old house my parents had left me. I prepped everything I needed for the classified research project. That night, I barely slept. My right eyelid wouldn't stop twitching, and it wasn't until deep into the night that I finally dozed off.

Early the next morning, I was woken by a flood of phone calls. When I checked my phone, there were hundreds of missed calls—some from friends, others from unknown numbers.

A sinking feeling clutched my gut. With trembling hands, I returned one of the calls.

"Lucia! How could you be so careless—someone posted your nudes on the projection Ferris wheel!"

My friend's panicked voice sent a jolt through me. My heart skipped a beat as I hurriedly opened their forwarded video. On the screen, I saw the projection of the Ferris wheel. And there, slowly forming piece by piece like a puzzle, was a photo of me completely naked and asleep. Someone had taken that photo. And now they were projecting it for the world to see.

My whole body shook.

I remembered that photo. After our wedding, my sex life with Shane had always been passionate—he was constantly trying new things. He had even bought a camera just to document everything. He said it was so he could always remember my appearance when I lost control under his touch.

He'd always kept that camera safe. So, how did those photos end up on the Ferris wheel?

To make it worse, someone had started live-streaming the whole thing. The chat was flooded with vulgar, demeaning comments. People were calling me a slut, a whore.

Hands shaking, I tried to call Shane, but his phone was off. Suddenly, a memory hit me—Kelly's smile before she left the cafe. And then, her message popped up on my screen.

"Surprise! Like my gift? Never took you for the wild type, Lucia. Why don't you come home? I've got another present waiting for you."

I grabbed a mask, pulled it over my face, and rushed home. When I arrived, Shane was pacing the living room, clearly agitated. When he saw me, guilt flashed in his eyes. "Lucia, about the camera, I lent it to Kelly, so she could shoot something, and then she lent it to someone else. I completely forgot there were photos in it."

Shane kept apologizing while Kelly, out of his line of sight, looked at me with a smug expression. "Shane, even now, do you still think Kelly did it by accident?"

I pointed at Kelly, my voice choked with emotion. "She faked being sick just to force me to divorce you, and she deliberately leaked my photos!"

"And how would she even know where we kept the camera? She must've been sneaking into our room!"

His expression darkened. "Lucia, enough! I told you—it was an accident. Kelly didn't mean for this to happen."

"I know I wronged you. I'll handle it, okay?"

But before he could finish, Kelly rushed forward with red eyes. "Shane! You mean you're just going to ignore me? But what about the baby in my belly?"

"I'm a man! How could I be pregnant unless it was you who got me that way? Did you do this on purpose? Did you want me to get pregnant?"

As she spoke, she looked right at me, eyes gleaming with triumph. I froze. Baby?

A flicker of unease passed across Shane's and Vivianne's faces. Then, like a bolt of lightning, realization struck me. "Shane, what does Kelly mean?" My voice trembled.

Shane looked uncomfortable, but Vivianne stood up and sighed dramatically before he could speak. "Fine, if he's too embarrassed to say it, I will!"

"Lucia, the reason we asked for the divorce isn't just because of Kelly's illness.

"The real reason is that she's pregnant with Shane's child. Two months along."

I stood frozen in disbelief as Shane's face twisted with guilt. "Lucia, I didn't mean for it to happen," he said, flustered. "That night, I was drugged. I was in a hotel and mistook her for you. I—"

A sharp, searing pain clutched at my chest. I suddenly recalled—two months ago, Shane had mentioned someone had set him up, but he'd claimed it was related to a business deal. So it wasn't about a contract—it was about that night he ended up in bed with Kelly.

No wonder he'd come home drunk that night, unusually wild in bed, his eyes full of guilt as he clung to me like he was trying to drown something out. He'd been lying to me ever since.

Cold swept over me like a tidal wave. So this was Kelly's so-called "gift."

"Lucia, don't be angry at Shane and Kelly—Kelly may be our adopted daughter, but there is no blood relation between them.

"She's liked him for years, and now they've ended up together; it's not that big a deal!"

Her words pulled me from my thoughts. She looked at me, unable to hide the smile in her eyes. "Lucia, you've always been such a sweet, understanding girl. Can't you let this go?

"If you can't let Shane go, you could still be part of the family. Just get pregnant—have a baby, too."

I laughed, bitter and broken, tears streaming down my cheeks. This was the man I had loved. This was the family I defied my parents for—the one I gave everything up to join.

I ran. I didn't even know how I got back to the old house. When I came to my senses, I was already there. That's when my phone buzzed with a new message. I picked it up, dreading what I already knew—another message from Kelly.

The pain in my chest was so intense I had to close my eyes to keep breathing. What more does she want now?

I opened the message. "Don't forget to come to my wedding with Shane tomorrow.

"After the ceremony, do yourself a favor and disappear. Forever! Shane is mine!"

A photo of Shane applying stretch mark cream to Kelly's stomach is attached.

My vision blurred again. If it weren't for Kelly, maybe that could've been me and Shane.

A new message came in. This one was from my professor.

"Lucia, your ticket is confirmed. You're leaving tomorrow."

I wiped my tears. The haze lifted from my eyes. Yes, I had always been gentle and slow to anger, but that didn't mean I had no dignity. If Shane, Kelly, and Vivianne all wanted to humiliate me, then fine. I worked so hard to maintain this love—it wasn't worth holding on to anymore.

I picked up my phone and searched for a long-forgotten contact. Shane—if I uncover proof that Kelly faked her illness, what will you do then?

Will you regret it?

***

The next morning, I packed my bags and arranged for them to be sent to the airport. Just as I was getting ready to leave, Shane showed up at the old house. "I saw the charge for a plane ticket on your card," he said, his voice strained. "Where are you going?

"Today is our wedding day—mine and Kelly's. Aren't you coming?"

I turned my head and stared at him—dressed in a groom's tux, eyes full of hurt, acting like I owed him something. Ever since we got married, he'd cling to me obsessively, keeping close tabs on everything I did. Except for one thing—he didn't know I'd been working on a classified research project in Los Angeles.

"Just taking a trip," I replied coolly.

He paused, then said hoarsely, "Lucia, I know I screwed up. I hurt you. But I really didn't do it on purpose. That night, I mistook Kelly for you—that's how all this happened. And now that she's sick, I really have no choice. You have to understand me!"

He gripped my shoulders. "Please, Lucia. Just hang in there for a little longer, okay? You've always been such a good girl; I know how much you love me.

"I've brought in specialists from overseas to treat Kelly's condition. And the baby, her body's weak. She has to carry it to term.

"But I promise, the child won't affect our relationship. So just come to the wedding, then take your trip after, okay?"

I gave him a cold, hollow smile. My heart didn't even ache anymore—it had gone numb. "Okay." I heard myself say it.

His face lit up. "Great! I'll head to the venue first. Don't take too long—I can't do this without you!"

I watched him rush off, then grabbed my suitcase, walked outside, and hailed a cab—headed in the opposite direction—straight to the airport. That forgotten contact had messaged me back, along with a file folder.

I processed the contents and then boarded my flight.

Shane, from now on, let's never see each other again.

"Shane, all the guests are here. Kelly's ready, too. Why aren't you going in yet?"

Vivianne looked at Shane pacing anxiously outside the chapel and asked, confused. "Mom, I just went to find Lucia. I wanted her to come to the wedding. But she's still not here."

Shane's voice was tense, his eyes scanning every passing figure.

Vivianne frowned. "Why are you still waiting for her at a time like this? Kelly is your bride now!"

"Mom!" Shane's expression darkened, his voice low and forceful. "Lucia is the only woman I consider my wife. I'm only marrying Kelly because she's sick. The divorce from Lucia wasn't what I wanted."

"And what about the baby Kelly's carrying?!" Vivianne exclaimed. "That's a life, too! Besides, Kelly has loved you for years. If we're talking about who's truly family, Kelly has always been closer to us!"

Shane fell silent. Kelly had been adopted from an orphanage after Vivianne lost her biological daughter. Back then, she was a shy, quiet little girl. The Palmer family had poured all their love into raising her, shaping her into the confident and entitled woman she was now. At some point, her feelings for Shane had changed. But to him, she had only ever been a younger sister. He had deliberately started dating other women to make her understand that there could never be anything between them. However, Kelly ruined each relationship intentionally or unintentionally. Until he met Lucia.

Lucia was the gentlest, most obedient, most considerate girl he had ever known. But that was only the surface. Shane knew—deep down, Lucia could be frighteningly stubborn.

He had already sensed her unhappiness about Kelly's incident this time. He knew it—he wasn't blind. But he also couldn't bear to watch Kelly's condition deteriorate. If Lucia could just be her usual understanding self, he believed everything would fall back into place.

This morning, he had gone to explain everything clearly to her. She hadn't seemed angry. If she wasn't angry, then surely she understood him. She would come.

But half an hour passed—and Lucia still hadn't shown up. Could something have happened to her on the way?

A sudden, inexplicable panic crept into his chest. He couldn't wait any longer—he turned, ready to leave and look for her. But Vivianne grabbed his arm. "The wedding has already started! You're not going anywhere! What matters now is taking care of Kelly. She's pregnant!"

Left with no choice, Shane walked inside, glancing back repeatedly with every step.

"Shane, I'm so happy. I finally get to marry you!" Kelly's face flushed as she looked at him, tears welling in her eyes. But Shane's mind was filled only with Lucia's distant, cold expression. He didn't even hear Kelly's words. His eyes were still locked on the chapel entrance. "Please exchange rings," the officiant said.

But Shane didn't move, still staring at the door as if expecting someone to walk through it. Kelly bit her lip and tugged gently on his sleeve, unwilling to accept the neglect. "Shane, it's time to exchange rings."

Only then did Shane snap out of it. The ring box had already been handed to him. He stared at it, heart pounding, unease growing heavier with every second. For some reason, he couldn't bring himself to lift the lid. "Shane! What are you doing?!" Vivianne shouted anxiously from the audience.

Just as Shane opened his mouth to respond, a stir rippled through the crowd. People began murmuring, surprise flashing across their faces. Some pointed toward the screen. Others had already raised their phones to snap photos and take videos.

Kelly frowned, confused, and turned to see what was going on. The moment she saw it, her face went ghostly pale—frozen in place like a statue.

Shane, too, noticed the disturbance and followed their line of sight to the massive screen behind them. And then he froze.

What was playing on the screen was not the wedding photos of him and Kelly; it was a full expose of everything Kelly had done.